Marlins put struggling Julio on DL

 

MIAMI (AP) -Jorge Julio and his unsightly ERA went on the disabled list Wednesday.
The Florida Marlins shut down their struggling former closer, citing a strained right calf not previously disclosed. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Julio hurt himself covering first base on a grounder Tuesday at Houston.
Julio stayed in the game and took the loss, giving up six runs in one-plus inning to hike his ERA to 19.06. He has allowed 15 hits and 11 walks in 5 2-3 innings.
Julio was placed on the 15-day DL.
“It may or may not be something that’ll help him,” Gonzalez said. “When he comes back, we’ll figure out where he’s at.”
The Marlins also placed rookie center fielder Alejandro De Aza on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle, retroactive to Monday. Alfredo Amezaga or Cody Ross will replace De Aza in the lineup, Gonzalez said, and outfielder Eric Reed was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Julio, acquired in a March trade with Arizona, has the Marlins’ third-highest salary at $3.6 million. He lost the closer’s job last week after blowing two saves and has since been equally ineffective pitching in the middle innings.
“I feel a lot for him,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a great kid. I pull maybe a little extra hard for him to be successful, just for his own personal demons or whatever you want to call it.”
Gonzalez said he’s on the verge of choosing a new closer but declined to identify the front-runner. The leading candidates are rookie right-hander Henry Owens, who earned his first save last week, and left-hander Taylor Tankersley.
Right-hander Lee Gardner was recalled from Albuquerque to take Julio’s spot on the roster.